Overview

• Russian officials said air defenses downed a Ukrainian drone near the Kursk nuclear plant, where the blast damaged an auxiliary transformer and forced a 50% output cut at one reactor, with no radiation release reported as the IAEA urged protection of all nuclear sites.
• Authorities reported at least ten drones shot down over the Ust‑Luga port, igniting a fuel‑terminal fire, while Russia said it intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions and briefly halted flights at several airports.
• Days earlier, one of the year’s largest Russian barrages struck western Ukraine, injuring workers at a U.S.-owned Flex electronics plant near the Hungarian border and killing one person in Lviv, with Ukrainian tallies citing 574 drones and 40 missiles in the assault.
• Moscow says no Putin–Zelenskyy summit is planned until an agenda is set and accuses the West of obstructing talks, as Zelensky renews his call for a leader‑level meeting and both sides confirm a reciprocal swap returning 146 people each.
• U.S. Vice-President JD Vance said Russia has made “significant concessions” to President Trump in diplomacy, while Trump signaled he will decide within two weeks on next steps if no meeting is scheduled, including the possibility of new sanctions or tariffs.